Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Congress and the Trump Administration must address the expiration of the UN arms embargo on Iran.
The UN arms embargo on Iran and the travel ban on Qasem Soleimani, the chief of Iran’s Quds force, are set to expire soon. McCaul said that if this ban is allowed to expire, it would provide Iran with a direct path to arm terrorists and spread instability around the globe.
“I am grateful to Secretary Pompeo and Special Representative Hook for rightly sounding the alarm about the upcoming expiration of the UN arms embargo on Iran and travel ban on Qasem Soleimani. Even with these measures in place today, Iran is still the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, supporting violent extremist groups like Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas. The expiration of these bans would allow Iran to openly arm their terrorist proxies and the head of the Quds Force to freely travel the globe plotting terror and regional instability with our adversaries,” McCaul said.
He continued, saying he is committed to working with the Trump Administration, Congress, and other nations to ensure that adequate policies are in place to counter the possible negative consequences.
“The UN Security Council must make this matter a forefront priority in the months ahead. As we all know, representatives on the Council hold incredibly diverse opinions on how to address Iran’s destabilizing behavior. A mutually agreeable solution will take time to achieve. We cannot afford to wait until the last minute to decide. The clock is ticking,” McCaul said.